


the telltales of time

by denoirselle



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Marinette is Stupefied, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26404735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denoirselle/pseuds/denoirselle
Summary: A pair of emerald green eyes were enough to cause chaos in Marinette's life. Two halos of golden blonde hair were more than required to plague her sleep. So when another pair of those eyes and another set of those hair come to visit her in the bustling city of Paris, Marinette was guaranteed to finally lose it  — or maybe not quite.Who can't resist those eyes, anyway?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 84





	the telltales of time

Seeing Bunnyx' portal was never a good sign for Marinette. Usually when they do appear, it was either they have to defeat a time-travelling villain or she had to travel into the future to defeat someone she never would have thought she needed to vanquish in order to save the world. 

Marinette suppressed a shiver. 

Visions of Chat Blanc — white and cold and menacing, a stark contrast to her sweet and playful kitty — flashed into her mind. It had plagued her nightmares more recently now, replacing the wide-eyed Adrien professing his love to Chloè with flashes of Chat Noir being reduced to that — that _monster_ obliterating all of Paris and eventually the whole world. Marinette never really knew what triggered her partner to be akumatized like that, but it was enough for her to be anxious about her Chat. 

She had grew even more protective of him after that incident but him sacrificing himself to save her or to give her more time to defeat a certain villain wasn't exactly reassuring her or helping her sanity. 

Despite Marinette's will to keep him from harm in all ways possible, circumstances always somehow ended with him protecting her from said harm. 

_Every single time_.

Marinette ought to have that talk with her feline partner yet, because if she was to watch him fall yet one more time for her sake or for the sake of the world, she was honestly going to completely lose it. And judging by everything that she had to juggle recently — her job as the new Guardian of the Miraculous, being the heroine of Paris, school, and everything else — her losing it was only a single minor inconvenience away. 

She had glimpsed of the portal a few rooftops away from her balcony when she went up to catch a few breaths of fresh air. Marinette wasn't too enthusiastic of seeing it though, even if Bunnyx has become a dear friend to her — well actually, she _is_ and always has been — but having the little time she had to herself be consumed by yet another possible akuma attack didn't appeal to Marinette at all. But nevertheless, Marinette took a deep breath and summoned Tikki from under her shirt and willed her transformation.

Ladybug swung her yoyo to a nearby post and bounded her way to where the portal was glinting. As she ran close to it, anxiousness seeped into her as she remembered Chat Blanc and the possibility it might have happened again this time. She moved faster, fear for her partner festering as she at last reached the rooftop as to where the portal was slowly closing up.

But instead of seeing the scarlet-haired heroine that willed the Bunny Miraculous, Ladybug was surprised to see a little boy dressed up as the bunny hero gazing up at her.

The little boy blinked. “Mom?”

Ladybug blinked back at him. _Mom_?

Realization dawned on the little boy's face as he caught the lack of recognition on Ladybug’s face. “Oh no,” he muttered as he brought his gaze away from her and looked around the Paris skyline and the bustling streets below them. “This is _not_ 2044.”

“Um, excuse me?” Ladybug began slowly. “But who are you? Last I know, the wielder of that Miraculous is ㅡ”

“Auntie Alix? Yes, I know,” he huffed. “I just wanted to try it out and experience what it's like to use a Miraculous, you know, since you and Dad never allow us near the Miracle Box. I didn't really know this particular one brought me to the past and that you'd catch me and I'll be _so_ dead and —”

“Wait,” Ladybug interrupted. She couldn't understand much of what the kid was saying since he was talking too fast but the words _you and Dad_ lingered in Ladybug's ears. “Who are you, exactly?”

The little boy blushed beneath his mask. “Well, I didn't think of my superhero name yet and —”

“No, not that,” Ladybug waved a hand. “I mean, your _real_ name. And possibly what you're doing with that Miraculous. You're not akumatized or something, are you?”

“Akuma —? No! No, of course not! I just —” He bit his lip and scratched the back of his neck, a gesture oddly familiar to Ladybug. Then, he mumbled, “Mom's gonna kill me. No, actually, _you're_ gonna kill me but like, about 20 years from now —”

“ _What_?”

The little boy sighed in defeat. Hesitant, he reached around the back of his neck and unclasped the necklace that held the Bunny Miraculous. As soon as he did, his transformation disappeared to reveal a little boy in kitten pajamas and a wild bundle of golden blonde hair.

Ladybug sucked in a breath. The boy was no older than 8 and was clad in only his sleeping clothes. His bright green eyes held a glint of nervousness and discomfort and his golden hair stuck out of his head in different directions. But what shocked Ladybug the most was the boy's uncanny resemblance to another boy gracing a large billboard just a few feet away from them. 

_Adrien_.

Albeit, younger. 

And if Ladybug wasn't wrong, this little boy had also called her —

“Mom?” the little boy inquired, fidgeting. “I'm really sorry.”

“Mom,” Ladybug repeated. Anxiousness and excitement flowed through her all at the same time as the little boy's identity — and possible parenthood — slowly dawned on her. “I'm your mother?”

The little boy blinked. “Uh, yeah? Well, unless, you and Dad were lying about your —”

He paused. 

“Oh, no,” he said. “I should _not_ have said that.”

Ladybug knew she shouldn't know more either, but the sight in front of her and all the possibilities it suggested left her excited and asking for, well, more. 

She crouched in front of the little boy and lifted his chin for her to be able to look him in the eye. Green met blue and it took all of Ladybug's nerves to not jump and dance for joy. 

This boy looked _exactly_ like Adrien Agreste. If he hadn't called her Mom beforehand, Ladybug would've assumed this was the younger version of her high school crush. And if she was indeed this boy's mother about 20 years into the future and he looked exactly like Adrien, then that must mean — 

She and Adrien have a _child_. She and Adrien must be _married_.

“Say, what's your name?” Ladybug asked, mustering her calmest voice as her heart ran wildly in her chest and it was everything _but_ calm. 

“Hugo,” the little boy answered.

Ladybug suppressed a squeal. _Hugo_. “Hugo ㅡ?”

“Uh,” Hugo stammered. “I-I don’t think I should really say any more. I'm sorry. You shouldn't even know that you're my uh — m-mom.”

He averted his eyes and scratched his head.

Ladybug smirked fondly and lightly ruffled his hair. “Fair enough.”

Her eyes lingered on him for a while, a little smile on her face. 

The past few days weren't easy. Each night, Marinette would go to bed too exhausted and drained that sometimes she just wanted to disappear and give up her Miraculous and all her other responsibilities. 

Sometimes, she couldn't even get to bed at all. 

She would drag her feet to start another new day no matter how tired and empty and utterly sleepless she was. Seeing this little boy — _Hugo_ — was like a sunshine to her dark days. The thought that she was going to have him in the far future _and_ with the man she loves made her feel giddy — something that she hadn't felt in weeks now. 

Hugo, meanwhile, couldn't look at his 14 year old mother. He sneaked into his parents' bedroom that night and secretly stole the Bunny Miraculous which his Auntie Alix has left to Marinette’s care for the evening. He knew what he did was wrong but he just couldn't quench his curiosity and thirst to go on an adventure, those that resembled what his Mom and Dad narrated to them every night about their battles as Paris' acclaimed superheroes. 

What he had in thought was running and bouncing on the rooftops of the city in a mask and a costume and definitely _not_ travelling back to the past and be face-to-face with his mother. 

His mother who would definitely doom him the moment he comes back and seeing as his mother knew about his little escapade 20 years before, she was probably expecting this to happen in the future.

Ladybug cleared her throat and stood. “Wait a minute,” she said, suddenly realizing something. “Why do you have that Miraculous again? I certainly would not let my son take that necklace and go travelling back in time unsupervised.”

Hugo froze, his worst fear as of the moment realized. He brought his hand back to his neck again, scratching it. Ladybug realized that that gesture of his was one he had gotten from his Dad, as she had noted while staring at Adrien a little _too_ frequently. She bit a smile.

“Well, about that —”

“Mommy!”

Ladybug jumped at the high pitched scream that came from somewhere beyond the skyline. She squinted and saw a halting figure approaching their rooftop. A series of squeals rang through the air as the figure — which Ladybug then quickly recognized as her partner, Chat Noir — grew visible. A few moments later, Chat Noir jumped into the roof she and Hugo were on, with a little girl wrapped securely in his arms.

A little girl, Ladybug now noticed, who had the same features as Hugo over here. Golden blond hair in little pigtails and sparkling green eyes. 

“That was fun, Daddy!” the little girl crowed as Chat slowly set her down on the roof.

Wait. 

_Daddy_?

Has Chat's daughter also travelled to the past along with her son? That can't be good.

“Mommy!” the little girl's eyes lit up as she found Ladybug's gaze. She crashed herself into Ladybug's arms and hugged her tight. 

Ladybug froze. _What_?

She blinked at Chat who looked just as shocked as she was. He squirmed uncomfortably until his gaze found the little boy just a few steps away from him. 

The little boy who now gaped at the little girl in Ladybug's arms in utter disbelief.

“Emma?” Hugo exclaimed.

 _Emma_?

Suddenly, Ladybug couldn't breathe. Her legs felt like jelly and she felt like she might just pass out anytime now.

This little girl who called Chat Noir _Daddy_ and who then ran into her arms and called _her_ Mommy was also named _Emma_. A name all too familiar with her the same way the name Hugo was.

Ladybug refused to acknowledge the possible implication this brought.

“Uh, who's this little guy?” Chat asked, leaning into his outstretched baton as he looked at Hugo curiously. 

Hugo tore his gaze from Emma whose arms were still around Ladybug's waist and looked at the black-suited hero. He squirmed and hesitated, then sighed, “Hello Daddy.”

Chat's eyes widened and he nearly fell from the roof as he tripped over his baton. “ _What_? There are two of you?”

Ladybug snapped out of her frozen disbelief and managed to crouch down to the little girl.

Emma smiled. “Hello Mommy.”

Ladybug gulped. “Your name is… Emma?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

Behind them, Hugo approached Emma and gently pulled her arm away from Ladybug for her to face him. “What are you doing here, Emma?”

The little girl pouted. “I wanted to go too. But you won't let me so —”

“So you sneaked behind my back and travelled with me without me knowing?” Hugo deadpanned.

“Well, it's not like you didn't sneak too!”

“Wait, hold up!” Chat interrupted with a time-out gesture. “What exactly is happening here again?”

He looked expectantly at Ladybug, but although Ladybug has pieced all the information together, she refused to acknowledge it — much less _believe_ it. 

“Uh, Dad,” Hugo began, rather unsure. “We're your, um — kids — from the future. My name is Hugo and this is my twin, Emma and we —”

“Twin?” Ladybug shrieked. “You two are _twins_?”

Hugo bit his lip. “We really should go.”

“But we've barely even got here!” Emma whined. “We haven’t been with Mom and Dad for too long!”

Ladybug knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help asking the question she was once giddy of the answer to but now dreaded to hear it. “Who exactly _is_ your Dad?”

The two blond heads blinked at her and at the same time, their gazes shifted to Chat Noir.

Ladybug's worst fears were realized. Suddenly, she really did feel like fainting.

She would never usually curse but what kind of _fuckery_ is this? Because apparently, she's going to have kids. She's going to have little blond twins with — for the love of God — _Chat fucking Noir_. 

This was definitely _not_ how Ladybug envisioned her day ㅡ and her future, to add to that ㅡ to go by.

Chat Noir blinked at the two kids. “Okay wait, there's another one? I have a son? Well — I'll eventually have one. And also a daughter and they're _twins_?”

Emma grinned at him while Hugo looked as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown. It was a rather very cute sight Ladybug would've appreciated better if her brain wasn't on the verge of having an aneurysm.

Although she was still unbelievably shocked about everything that's been transpiring, Ladybug couldn't help but notice the soft look Chat shot at Emma and how he raised his eyebrows in mild amusement as his gaze moved towards Hugo. He crouched in front of the little boy. 

Slowly, Chat lifted his chin. “You look a lot like —”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hugo sighed. “I've been told.”

Chat chuckled. “Clearly.”

Despite himself, Hugo smiled. 

Behind them, Ladybug cleared her throat. She swallowed the shock, curiosity, and the frustration building up inside her. “This is all very… _eye-opening_ , but I think it's time for you little sunshines to get back home.”

Emma pouted. “But Mommy. We just got here.”

Ladybug was about to answer her when Chat gently placed both his hands on the little girl's shoulders. “Your —” he cleared his throat and shot a sheepish smile at Ladybug before returning his eyes back to Emma who looked as if she was about to cry. “ — mother is right, you know. It's not safe for the two of you to stay here any longer.” He looked at Hugo who nodded.

“Daddy's right, Em,” he said quietly. “We shouldn't even be here in the first place.”

“But I still want to stay with Mommy!” Emma whined, the tears slowly lining her bright green eyes.

Ladybug softened at this and crouched beside Chat to hold her — well, daughter. “Hey Emma, it's okay. Surely, I'll be there when you get home.”

“Are you sure?” she pouted, eyes resembling that of Manon's baby doll eyes.

“Of course, I'm sure, baby,” she cooed as she tenderly cupped the little girl’s small face. “I promise I'll be there when you get home tonight, okay? But right now, you and your brother must go back. It's really not safe for you here.”

With a few sniffles, Emma nodded and said in a small voice, “Okay.”

Ladybug turned to Hugo and ruffled the little boy's head. “It's time for you to go, kiddo.”

Hugo nodded and wore the Miraculous. He summoned the hero’s transformation, and soon enough he was clad in his bunny hero costume. 

Chat whistled appreciatively at his son's transformation.

Ladybug rolled his eyes. “Don't encourage him, Chat.”

Hugo smiled to himself. He had heard of the stories about how his parents came to be a lot of times already. His Godmother Alya even said that the path they took to get there was a _f_ _rustrating journey of utter idiocy and a whirlwind of completely dumb stupidity_. Clearly, their parents were in for a rather wild ride.

Or rather, will be.

“Let's go, Emma.” He stretched his hand for his little sister to take and she clasped it softly. 

They began walking into the light of the portal. 

“Are you sure you two can make it home safe?” Chat asked worriedly before they can enter.

Hugo turned to him and smiled. “We'll be okay, Dad.”

“And no more detours, you two,” Ladybug warned to which Hugo merely scratched his head.

“Goodbye, Mommy,” Emma squeaked. “Goodbye, Daddy!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, shy and a little bit awkward, but nevertheless, they managed to send a smile to Emma.

“Goodbye, little lady,” Chat waved at her, soft.

The two trudged into the portal. But before it could engulf the both of them completely, Hugo caught a glimpse of the large billboard gracing Adrien's face and gasped softly. He then muttered under his breath, “They're right. I really _do_ look like him.”

Chat chuckled but Ladybug didn't seem to notice. 

A few moments later, the time portal closed up, disappearing into the night and Ladybug and Chat Noir were left alone on the roof.

“So,” Chat Noir said after a while. “We're not going to talk about that anytime soon, are we?”

“Nope,” Ladybug sighed. “How'd you meet Emma, by the way?”

“Well,” Chat scratched the back of his neck. A gesture that he — _apparently_ — shared with his son. “I was in the car and then this little girl kept tapping on the window and calling me ‘Daddy’ and well —” he shrugged. “It just made sense somehow. Especially when she looked just like —” _My mother_. Chat wanted to say but stopped himself. “Anyway, I was just very thrilled to see her, you know. And then, the little boy — ” _And them calling you 'Mom'_. 

Ladybug smirked. “They are quite a sight.”

“They clearly got my genes.”

Despite herself, Ladybug laughed. “Don't be so full of yourself, kitty.”

The sound of Chat's ring beeping rang in the air. 

Chat grimaced. “That ends tonight, then.”

Ladybug smirked and shrugged. “I guess it does.”

Chat sighed and stretched his baton. “Well then, My Lady,” With one hand to his stick, he brought the other to his stomach and made a bow. “‘Till next time.” He sent her a wink and barreled off.

The air of the Parisian night hit Chat Noir squarely to the face as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He felt giddy and light, the visions of the two identically blonde little kids seeping into his head: the little boy Hugo who looked _exactly_ like him when he were his age and the little girl — Emma — who sported a very uncanny resemblance to his mother that Chat initially thought that it was Emilie who came to him in the car but in her toddler state. When she called him ‘Dad’ and explained about what she had done, Adrien didn't know if he were to be excited about it or worried about how the little 8 year old kid travelled back through time without any adult supervision.

And for these little kids who were apparently his future children call _Ladybug_ their _Mom_ , well Chat could barely resist the urge to pump his fists in the air. Because that meant — well, that meant he and his lady would eventually get together.

A grin spread wide on Chat's face so hard, it started to ache.

Ladybug gazed at Chat's retreating silhouette in the night. 

She wasn't sure what to make of the recent revelations the night gave her. She didn't want to ponder on it, either. She didn't want to think about how she and Chat apparently have literal _children_ which probably meant that they ended up together and got married.

She also didn't want to think about how Hugo resembled Adrien too much for it to be a coincidence and for him to have Chat as a Dad instead of the man he resembled which probably meant that —

Ladybug shook her head.

 _Don't think about it too much, Ladybug. Whatever will happen, will eventually happen. No need to rush it. Don't be too excited_.

Chat's figure slowly shrunk into a little dot in the middle of the night and soon enough, he was gone.

Perhaps Ladybug would fall in love with him. Or perhaps her newly discovered suspicion that Chat was Adrien were true and she's been in love with him this whole time. 

Well, whatever it is, someday they'd get there. 

Or perhaps, some things would change and they don't. But well —

“Time will tell,” Ladybug whispered, eyes never leaving the ghostly trail Chat took. “Only time will tell.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is my very first miraculous fic and i hope you guys liked it!  
> i apologize for any typos you guys might find, i'll be sure to edit this soon. kudos and comments are always appreciated <3


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